Home
by mrskillianjonesig
Summary: AU; No Endgame Spoilers! Pepper is in the aftermath of something tragic, but at least she's not alone. This will remain a teeny tiny "what-if" one-shot.


**Home**

I'm asleep somewhere in the big white hotel bed, the scent of an unknown room deo still disturbing my nose, as he climbs in next to me. Subconsciously, without opening my eyes, I let him cuddle under the covers by raising them a bit. For a moment I think about never opening my eyes again, not after the terrible things I had to witness, but then I tell myself again who is lying in my arms now.

"Mommy," he says silently. The sound of fear in his clear young voice.

"What's wrong, honey?" I ask. Sometimes I still can't believe I have a son, that I'm a mother of such a pure life which I have the responsibility and urge to protect at all costs.

"I can't sleep."

"Did you have a nightmare?" I ask, stroking his cheek. Even though it's dark I can recognize his dark yet sparkling eyes.

"No, I miss J."

A nightmare would have been something I had more experience with. But he's right. It's silent in a building where Jarvis is not in charge of everything and doesn't greet you whenever you come home. Or is it our home he misses? How to explain a four-year-old that you flew from your house in New York to a hotel because something horrible happened? "You can stay here with me. I promise, when the time has come, we will go back, and J can play your heavy metal music for you to fall asleep to. For now, I'm gonna hold you in your sleep though, okay?"

"I just don't want a new home, Mommy."

"I know. Me neither," I say, caressing my son again. Home… I'm not talking about the place.  
He cuddles closer to me and calms down. I listen to his breath, getting lower with each passing moment. It calms me, too. His heart beat next to mine feels so familiar…

_He takes my hand, the one with the engagement ring. The gold is warm from our heated bodies under the sheets. I wonder what he's thinking. Still holding my hand, he turns to me with his head resting in his other hand propped up on the pillow.__"I'm glad you accepted my proposal," the voice I'm dying to hear every passing second says sincerely._

___"Me too. I couldn't think of anything better to happen to me," I reply, looking up to him. He keeps the eye contact with his irresistible smirk upon his face._

___"Besides maybe you could have done it without Mark III flying over the candle light. I mean, are you out of your mind?" I try to tease him._

___"Oh, come on, Potts. You have to admit that flight choreography was awesome."_

___"Alright, alright I admit it could've been worse. Imagine Dum-e close to the candle's flame. I remember a certain night in your workshop…"_

___"If I had to guess I'd say you're teasing me, Miss Potts" he interrupts, failing to hide the amusement in his voice._

_"Perhaps," I smile. Sparkling eyes light up as he grins too, "Mark III was having 12% of the moment." A laughter escapes my mouth at this comment. But I stop as I feel his intense gaze on me. Silently, we just look at each other. I breathe in, smell him. Like fresh washed clothes, motor oil and a little sweaty. Homey, I think, still looking in his eyes._

___"I love you," he says out of nowhere._

___"I love you too-" I reply, the end of the sentence muted by his lips on mine._

___"What do you say, ready for another round?" he smirks his typical crooked Tony Stark grin. I can't help it affecting the corners of my mouth. We get closer to kiss once more that night. I let go of his hand, want to reach out for his shoulders, his neck, his hair. Our faces less than inches apart…_

"Mommy?"

…but I'm not touching him. The memory of his lips moving against mine felt so real. I remember the very first time we kissed on that roof top as though it was only yesterday and still, I didn't capture it forever.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Do you think Daddy's alright where he is?" I run my fingers through my son's strawberry blonde curls and hold him close to me, trying not to let my own trembling show. "Yes. Yes, I think so. You're all I have, you know. I love you, TJ."

"I love you too, Mommy."

_**A/N:**____**I'm sorry. I don't know what I did here, I really don't. It's the tension and the excitement so close to Endgame, I guess. Please review. Reviews are an author's biggest gift. **_


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